As part of the AlgoLit project, we have developed a barometer of digital meditation practices, with a particular focus on algorithmic mediation. Do citizens ask digital mediators and digital inclusion workers about algorithms ? If so, what kinds of questions do they ask ? What would mediators and digital inclusion workers need to do a better job ?
Through a field survey conducted in Belgium, the Netherlands, and France, we collected and analyzed responses from 256 people to identify trends, practices, and the needs of digital inclusion advisors and workers. In addition to this survey, a series of in-depth interviews were conducted with field practitioners and researchers in the three countries.
Among the key findings of this survey, it is worth noting first and foremost the difficulty digital mediation workers face to identify algorithms and explain how they work.
Furthermore, questions about algorithms rarely arise spontaneously ; they often stem from citizens’ personal fears and difficulties. Citizens want to understand what an algorithm is, how it works, and how to opt out of it when possible. Digital mediation workers need tools and resources that enable them to effectively assist citizens and direct them to the right people.
The results of this survey and its analysis lay the groundwork for the next phase of our outreach work, which is to develop a prototype tool that is useful and relevant for outreach workers and digital inclusion professionals.
To view the full, detailed analysis of this survey, download it here :
This Barometer is published through a CC BY-NC 4.0 licence.
For more information or questions about this work, please contact us at: algolit@datactivi.st